Thanksgiving day TV marathons to be thankful for

AMC will air a marathon of "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" starting at 11:30 a.m. Thanksgiving day.

Story highlights

There are plenty of TV marathons to be thankful for this year

In step with Bond's 50th anniversary, there's a James Bond movie marathon

TV fans can also catch marathons of crime shows, reality TV and sitcoms

There's not much you can do when that inevitable turkey coma sets in today, so instead of fighting those couch potato urges, indulge in some Thanksgiving TV.

Fortunately, there are plenty of TV marathons to be thankful for this year. Whether you're craving something manly, in a nostalgic state of mind, or schadenfreude is the name of the game, there's something to feast your eyes on.

Oldies, But Goodies

As you're reminiscing about the good ol' days with family, it's only fitting that you watch some cinematic masterpieces from yesteryear. First up is a jumbo-sized James Bond movie marathon. Celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary with a two-day Syfy blockbuster fest from 12 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. tomorrow. I'm sure the release of the latest and highest-grossing 007 installment, "Skyfall," has opened up the age-old debate about the best Bond flick.

The marathon includes Daniel Craig's first two Bond films, "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace," and the very first film from the franchise, Sean Connery's "Dr. No."

If you're more gangster than suave, AMC's "Godfather" marathon is the way to go. With two consecutive airings of "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. tomorrow, you're sure to get your mafia fix (the third film is officially not worth watching).

Just Watched

Shopping on Thanksgiving Day?

Keeping with the theme of taking trips down memory lane, here are some old-school TV shows to balance out the classic movies. Your favorite gothic soap opera, "Dark Shadows," will run on Chiller from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., while your favorite science fiction sitcom, "ALF," will air from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. tomorrow on The Hub.

You can also catch back-to-back episodes of "I Love Lucy" (noon to 4 p.m.) on TV Land followed by "The Andy Griffith Show "(4 to 9 p.m.).

If James Bond and Michael Corleone aren't rugged enough, you can watch the manliest of men on reality TV. Spend the day with "Swamp People" (8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on History) and "Wheeler Dealers" (from 6 a.m. Thanksgiving day to 6 a.m. tomorrow on Velocity).

For even more life-threatening adventures, check out "Alaska: The Last Frontier" (10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Discovery), "Finding Bigfoot" (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Animal Planet), and "Wicked Tuna" (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on National Geographic Channel). Spike will also air "Tattoo Nightmares" followed by "Ink Master" from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Crime Procedurals

So many hookers, so little time! USA will air 24 hours of "NCIS" (the "Gibbs That Keeps On Giving" marathon) beginning at 6 a.m., while Oxygen will offer a half day of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. tomorrow.

If you like murder with a side of comedy, tune into "Castle" (10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on TNT) or "Psych" (running until 6 a.m. tomorrow on Cloo). You can also flip to A&E's "The First 48" (3 p.m. to 4 a.m. tomorrow) for the real scoop.

Or, if the thought of food doesn't make you want to hurl, try some food programming with "Best Sandwich" (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Travel), "Cake Boss" (6 a.m. to 11 a.m. on TLC), and "Restaurant Impossible" (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Food Network).

From Wishbone to Funny Bone

Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without friends and family. So tune into "Friends" (11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on TBS) and family sitcoms "Roseanne" (2 to 6 p.m. on CMT) and "Moesha" (8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on BET). Hopefully watching other people's lousy Thanksgivings (fingers crossed that "Friends'" "The One With All the Thanksgivings" will air) will make yours better.

Whether you're a fan of the Wild Wild West or the Final Frontier, there's a marathon out there for you. BBC America will air the seventh season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" from noon to tomorrow, 6 a.m., and History will rebroadcast its acclaimed miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys" from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. tomorrow. There's also an alternative for cult TV addicts in "Friday Night Lights" (1 to 8 p.m. on ESPN Classic).